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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1987
FOR EXAMPLE, HE SUGGESTED THAT MORE BACK-UP SUPPORT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED INDUSTRIAL FIRMS WHICH REPRESENTED NEARLY 97 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS IN HONG KONG.
COUNTRIES SUCH AS SOUTH KOREA, TAIWAN AND SINGAPORE HAD ALREADY SET UP OFFICIALLY SPONSORED ORGANISATIONS TO GIVE SUPPORT TO SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED FACTORIES BUT IN HONG KONG THERE WAS NO SIMILAR ORGANISATION, HE SAID.
HE FELT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONSIDER SETTING UP A SIMILAR ORGANISATION THAT WOULD SUIT HONG KONG CIRCUMSTANCES.
MR CHEONG-LEEN ALSO CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO ACT MORE POSITIVELY IN STRENGTHENING AND EXPANDING THE TECHNOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO ENABLE INDUSTRY TO MOVE AHEAD AND UP-MARKET WITH GREATER MOMENTUM,
IN THIS RESPECT, HE SAID HONG KONG SHOULD MOVE AHEAD WITH ALL SPEED TO ESTABLISH A PROPOSED TECHNOLOGY CENTRE OR SCIENCE PARK FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENCOURAGING INNOVATION, FACILITATING THE APPLICATION OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, AND ATTRACTING MORE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OR INVESTMENTS FROM OVERSEAS TO HONG KONG. IT WOULD ALSO IMPROVE HONG KONG'S IMAGE AS AN IMPORTANT CENTRE OF TECHNOLOGY,
IN ADDITION, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD ESTABLISH AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. THE COMMITTEE COULD MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT ON POLICY TOWARDS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.
IT COULD ALSO ADVISE ON THE OUTLINE OF DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES, ESPECIALLY IN MANPOWER TRAINING AND WITHIN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM AS A WHOLE, AND ALSO ON THE LIKELY FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS.
MR CHEONG-LEEN SAID THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD STEP UP THE MOMENTUM IN ENCOURAGING BANKS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO EXTEND LONGER TERM LOANS AT COMPETITIVE INTEREST RATES TO INDUSTRY FOR INSTALLATION OF UP-TO-DATE MACHINERY AND OTHER CAPITAL EQUIPMENT.
THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE SEEN TO BE MORE POSITIVELY STIMULATING SUCH A TREND ON THE PART OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, HE ADDED.
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